At just 24 years old and only just graduating from Emory University this year, Royce Mann (25C) just concluded his campaign for a seat on the Atlanta Board of Education, advancing to the runoff election. Mann ran for the District 8 At-Large seat, voted on by all of Atlanta. The board helps develop and implement policies to improve Atlanta’s school system. The Emory alumni lost to Kaycee Brock by 10.8% of the vote. Mann finished with 7,309 votes (44.6%) of the 16,393 ballots cast, compared to his mayoral-endorsed nonpartisan opposition, Kaycee Brock, who received 9,084 votes (55.4%).
Following the Dec. 2 runoff results, Mann reiterated his commitment to improving the Atlanta public school system in a speech to supporters.
“I am going to be in this fight for a long time to come,” Mann said. “Now is a time to recommit ourselves to what’s motivated this campaign — the belief that Atlanta Public Schools can be a world class school system that truly serves every student regardless of their background.”
Associate Professor of Political Science Luis Martinez praised Mann’s campaign, describing it as an “uphill battle.” Martinez explained that Mann’s youth and lack of political experience compared to Brock were inevitable disadvantages in the election.
“If you want to become the experienced candidate at some point, you have to run and lose a few races,” Martinez said. “I imagine if Royce was here, he would say ‘I’ve learned a ton.’”
Mann ran on a platform that included proposed policies to provide free MARTA transit for high school students, reform academic disciplinary structures, supply universal pre-K and adapt Atlanta schools’ curriculum to teach students more life skills.
In an interview with WABE, an Atlanta-based radio station, Mann said his experience as a recent graduate of the Atlanta Public Schools system gave him a unique perspective on improving the school system.
“Our students deserve a voice on the board that understands their experiences and brings the knowledge and skill set to effectively serve their needs,” Mann said.
Young Democrats of Emory Treasurer Raleigh Maxwell (28C) said that while Mann was a student they worked together on the Young Dems executive board. Maxwell noted that the climate for young politicians is different today than it was a decade ago.
“There’s way more focus on the issue of all of our politicians being much older than their constituents,” Maxwell said. “Royce is the first in the Emory community to be that young and run for an office as large as the school board, but I don’t think he’ll be the last by any means.”
Like Maxwell, Professor of Political Science Jeffrey Staton emphasized the need for younger political representatives.
“The civic health of the community is better off when we have diverse candidates and diverse perspectives,” Staton said. “Especially in a school board election where you’ve got someone who’s recently been a student, it’s terrific.”
However, Staton explained that younger electoral candidates face more barriers when entering the political space.
“It’s just so uncommon to see someone so young running,” Staton said. “As a consequence, it may be harder to fundraise, it may be harder to convince folks to work with you and get your message out.”
Despite losing the recent election, Martinez applauded Mann’s commitment to improving the Atlanta community.
“As an Emory community, we should feel proud that our students are seeing value in public service, that our students are seeing value in helping the community, in running for office,” Martinez said. “We should certainly feel proud of the effort done by Royce and how far he’s come.”
Maxwell, along with other Emory Young Dems, joined canvassing efforts for Mann’s campaign this fall. While Mann lost this election, Maxwell stressed that this was only a temporary setback and said that he hopes Mann will be back in politics soon.
“Royce is a fighter to the bone,” Maxwell said, “He’s committed to serving Atlanta, serving Georgia, serving this nation. I would not be surprised to see him run again, and I really hope he does.”
